ISSN 2411-9571 (Print) European Journal of Economics September-December 2017 ISSN 2411-4073 (online) and Business Studies Volume 3, Issue 3 The Cross Thai-Cambodian Border’s Commerce Between 1863 -1953 from the View of French’s Documents Nathaporn Thaijongrak, Ph.D Lecturer of Department of History, Faculty of Social Sciences, Srinakharinwirot University Abstract The purpose of this research aims to study and collect data with detailed information of the cross Thai- Cambodian border’s commerce in the past from French’s documents and to provide information as a guideline for potential development of Thai-Cambodian Border Trade. The method used in this research is the qualitative research. The research instrument used historical methods by collecting information from primary and secondary sources, then to analysis process. The research discovered the pattern of trade between Cambodia and Siam that started to be affected when borders were established. Since Cambodia was under French’s rule as one of French’s nation, France tried to delimit and demarcate the boundary lines which divided the community that once cohabitated into a community under new nation state. In each area, traditions, rules and laws are different, but people lived along the border continued to bring their goods to exchange for their livings. This habit is still continuing, even the living communities are divided into different countries. For such reason, it was the source of "Border trade” in western concept. The Thai-Cambodian border’s trade during that period under the French protectorate of Cambodia was effected because of the rules and law which illustrated the sovereignty of the land. At the same time, customs have been defined including several details that have affected the traditional trade. The border’s commerce was more sophisticated. The products had transformed according to the needs of the developed world market and social conditions. Keywords: Border’s commerce, Thai, Cambodia Introduction Trade or commerce occurs with the evolution of human society. In Southeast Asia, people exchange their goods between ancient kingdoms for over centuries, as the same as the Thai-Cambodian trade, through various trails or routes which connects two lands together. However, when Cambodia became a part of French Protectorate in 1863 under Indochinese Federation, French imperialism arrived with the idea of nation state, which claimed absolute sovereignty within its borders. They delimitated and demarcated state boundaries. The research aims for the awareness of the changing dynamics of border trade, after the birth of Southeast Asian nation states by using French documents from Center of Archives nationales d'outre-mer in Aix-en-Provence and Center of Archives diplomatiques de La Courneuve. In which they had fullfilled some details which could not be found in both Thai and Khmer documents and other secondary sources for completed information with types of merchandise, trade routes, the adaptation of merchants and people at the border, which are the basis of the relation development with neighboring countries in terms of aspects of international relations, apart from political context. In addition, due to the fact that Cambodia was under French’s rule, the official information or documents on border information were recorded in French. The French documents open up the perspectives or helped to educate the Thai- Cambodian border trade, and provide a basis for understanding the economic situation between the two countries in preparation for membership of the ASEAN Economic Community later on. Background The Thai-Cambodian trade relations dated back in the 16th century from Ayutthaya period. Ayutthaya was one of the major important seaports of the region, many western countries made journeys to trade. Trade’s role of Ayutthaya can divided into two parts: seaport and entrepot. The kingdom was the center to buy or exchange wild products from interior area of the continent, which were highly demanded in the global markets, also to distributed goods and products along the shipping route. Cambodia paid tribute in the form of such goods as well. Pepper was one of the most important spices to trade 63 ISSN 2411-9571 (Print) European Journal of Economics September-December 2017 ISSN 2411-4073 (online) and Business Studies Volume 3, Issue 3 between Ayutthaya-Cambodia-France. Cambodia was the area where pepper was popularly farmed. In Chou Ta-kuan’s report described “pepper planted in Kampot and sold in Ayutthaya with France as a monopoly, the pepper’s trade made France a huge beneficiary”.1 As mentioned above, Cambodia has been important to Siamese trade since ancient period. It is located along the Mekong River, a major trade route in the past. Cambodia links with the rich interior of forests and coastal trade. Trading network brought together Siam, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam along the Mekong River basin. In Cambodia, there were many trade routes. People can crossed between Vietnam and the left bank of the Mekong River, along the three little rivers to Mekong and the Northeast of Siam. From the right bank of the Mekong River, traders can travel straight to Korat Plateau into Nakhon Ratchasima, but through the dense jungles filled with wild animals and the disease of Dong Phaya Yen mountains before entering northeastern Bangkok.2 Another route that connects to the inner Bangkok is Mekong river cruise from the south of Luang Prabang and made journey on foot through the mountains, follow by boat to Pichai. It took another twelve days by boat to Bangkok. The Phuan used this route to bring expensive exports goods to sell in the lower lands, such as ivory, gold, cinnamon, cardamom and rhinoceros horns. On the trip back, they bought salt from the Annam coast and Luang Prabang. Some merchants bought salt from Vietnamese merchants who crossed the mountains to distribute in the Mekong and the southern part of the Korat plateau. Products from Bangkok were shipped from China, Europe, India and Siam were then shipped to Laos via the Puans. Laotian merchants who trade and export goods such as frankincense, honey and gold woul bring cotton and opium rom back to India. Traders from Laos and Korat Plateau who often trade to Bangkok chose to travel through Prachin Buri and the Phanom Dong Rak mountain range (Surin), Tako (Sa Kaeo), Samed (Surin), instead of the mountains of Dong Phaya Yen which was more difficult.3 The Alternative way was through Samed (Surin) and Tako (Sa Kaeo), which was also a tract of merchants who trade in Cambodia. Silk from the east of Pak Thong Chai District, Nakhon Ratchasimawalk to Nangrong district, Buriram, went through south east of Bann Pra Kham or Bann Pha Kham and went southward to Som Poi. This is a cliff channel and a steep hill, when it reached the low land, merchants would walk to Ta Phraya in the Aranyaprathet border into Cambodia, across Angkor Thom.4 In addition, Cambodia is also a route for goods from the Central Mekong to coastal cities. There are records of trade along the Mekong basin between Laos and Cambodia. Sombok, which is located between Laos and Cambodia, was a trade city in the 17th century when Cambodian merchants bought wild products from the highlands. Normally, the cargo were loaded into a boat or rafts until reached to Li Pee waterfall in the south of Laos, where the boat could not accessed, and then they changed to the land route with carts to Cambodia. These trade routes were used until in the late 19th century. Products from Laos and hill tribesmen were brought to Khmer merchants in Phnom Penh before being transported to the junk at Haitian.5 In the northeast of Cambodia (Battambang and Siem Reap), was another route for transferring goods from Laos and hilltribes. Although there was an obstacle from Li Pee waterfall, but native traders often chose trail Battambang - Prachin - Bangkok more than the route that passes through Phaya Yen Mountain. Products from the eastern Cambodia also entered the seaports of Siam, Chanthaburi and Trad which is the hub for wild products from Cambodia and Vietnam before being sold to China. Internal trade routes also helped to make the trade along the seashore bustling. John Crawford described the trade routes throughout the Gulf of Siam in the early 19th century, from Bang Saphan, Banglamung, Rayong, Chanthaburi and Thung Yai (Trad) in Siam until Kampot in Cambodia and Rach Gia, Camau or Long Xuyen and Saigon in Vietnam. It was estimated that in the early 19th century, there were about 40-50 Siamese junk ships traded on this route. Most of them were small 1 Puangtong Pawakapan, Songkhram Kankha lae chatniyom nai khwamsamphan thai-kampuchea (Wars, Trade and Nationalism in Thai-Cambodia Relations). Bangkok: The Social Science and Humanity Textbook Project, 2011, p.7. 2 Ibid 3 Jit Phumisak, Sangkhom thai lum maenam chaophraya kon samai si-ayutthaya (Thai Society in the Chaophraya River Basin before the Ayutthaya Period, Bangkok: Fah diew kan, 2004, p.302. 4 Puangtong Pawakapan, op.cit. 5 Henri Mouhot, Henri Mouhot’s Diary, Kuala Lumpur: Oxford University, 1966, p.33. 64 ISSN 2411-9571 (Print) European Journal of Economics September-December 2017 ISSN 2411-4073 (online) and Business Studies Volume 3, Issue 3 boats with a tonnage of 60-100 tons. The Siamese junk that travels to China often visited these coastal ports such as Hue and Fofai to buy cardamom, ivory, leather, deer, and salted fish. On the other hand, they brought Chinese West and Indian goods to sell in Cambodia and Vietnam. There were also products made in Siam such as steels, wood, pans, tobacco, opium, and Cambodian rice. Foreign trade in the coastal cities of the port city was not very active; Henri Mouhot stated that the flourish trade in Kampot was not comparable to the port in Bangkok.